So the latest John Oliver clip on Trump that came out a few days ago is nowhere to be found… anybody know what's up with that? I'm curious what people can and can't get away with when speaking of the Donald.

“.....with a malevolent fascist swine atop its titular apex, the pitiful wounded beast of a rotten, spiritually dead American Superpower is careening towards epic barbarism while pushing the species dangerously to the tipping points of extinction.”

So is this assclown done? I just can't see him making it to 100 days at the rate he is going. Fox News is even turning on him, which can only be seen as the Republican establishment starting to distance themselves from him before they pull the rug out. They just need to shelter Pence. Win win for them really. Donald the clown gets them in the White House and then Pence goes with the worst of their agenda. If the Republicans don't pull out the knives a Democratic congress (very likely considering how unpopular Trump is) will go after him with everything they have. It just makes sense to pull off the band aid now.

Nothing has gone the way I thought it would over the last year, so who really knows, but for the love of white Jebus it is looking worse every day for this administration.

With members of the CIA and NSA leaking materials on Michael Flynns communications with Russian officials, we are witnessing a slow boiling domestic coup that will transform American governance and the Executive Branchs relationships with intelligence agencies. It remains to be seen whether these moves signal broader attacks on the Presidency by agencies long accustomed to taking out administrations threatening the Agencys perceived interests.

This moment tells us more about the CIA revolting against a particular administration than it does about Trumps people engaging in unusually diabolical-illegal activities designed to undermine an outgoing administration. We know enough about Reagans pre-election dealings with Iran to know that the CIA and NSA knew about these transactions, yet these agencies were content to remain silent; apparently glad to see Carter ousted and welcoming a new era of unparalleled peace time military and intelligence spending. Similarly, American intelligence agencies knew of Nixons efforts to sabotage the Paris peace talks before the 1968 election, and the CIA did nothing to undermine a new president who was going to give the agency the war it wanted. The leaking of Flynns information tells us little new about how incoming administrations act, but it suggests something new about US intelligence agencies willingness to take out an administration not to their liking.

To be clear: I see nothing wrong with the leaks themselves. I like intelligence leaks. I think they are generally good for democracy and reveal important truths about power. I am not worried about leaks, I am worried about the CIA and other intelligence agencies making a significant power grab that is not being critically considered. This is a move that no future president will soon forget, and that will make him or her think twice before crossing these agencies.

The lefts widely shared disdain for Donald Trump makes the current rushing national wave of schadenfreude understandable, yet there are few on the left who appear worried about what this domestic CIA coup portends for American democracy. Because of the long history of liberals attractions to using the CIA, perhaps we should not be too surprised at this elation, but we need to cautiously think beyond this moment.

It is no secret that many at the CIA hold disdain for Flynn. His years at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and in command of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) coincided with efforts to move many of what had been CIA operational activities and covert operations away from CIA to DIA. With the CIA attacking the Trump administration so soon after the election with leaks of the Russian hacking report there were clear public fissures appearing between the Agency and the new Executive.

I assume that there are lots of reasons why many at the CIA and NSA wish to undermine the Trump administrationI even assume I may share a few of these reasons with them. While the agency is comfortable with much of the corporate looting that Trump appears ready to unleash, few in the agency like the sort of instability that Trump generatesand I suppose some within may take his ongoing barbs and attacks on Agency incompetence seriously.

As it is to many of us on the left, it is obvious to me that Trump is the most dangerous, unqualified, and reckless US President I have ever seenmuch less imagined. And while it seems as if he will soon enough seize some opportunity to declare a national security disaster granting himself new unlimited powers, I know no reason to trust the CIA and other intelligence agencies any more than we trust Trump.

This attack on the Executive Branch is like nothing weve ever seen before. The most historically interesting element of this moment is the rarity of seeing the CIA operating, in real time, not in its usual historical role as a covert arm of the presidency (which Congressman Otis Pike argued was its primary function), but as the sort of rogue elephant that Senator Frank Church and others long ago claimed it is. As members of the Republic, no matter what momentary joy we might feel watching this rogue elephant canter towards our incompetent Commander and Chief, we must not ignore the danger this beast presents to one and all.

We should welcome calls to investigate Trump, Flynn, Bannon, Pence and others within the administration, but we need to also investigate and monitor the CIA for this latest in its long history of attempted coups.

David Price a professor of anthropology at Saint Martins University in Lacey, Washington. He is the author of Weaponizing Anthropology: Social Science in Service of the Militarized State published by CounterPunch Books.

“.....with a malevolent fascist swine atop its titular apex, the pitiful wounded beast of a rotten, spiritually dead American Superpower is careening towards epic barbarism while pushing the species dangerously to the tipping points of extinction.”

apparently this year a bunch of JFK files are set to be declassified. the president has the option to sign off on releasing them or keeping them sealed. trump has a trump card. as the intelligence community likely doesn't want that all coming to light . the old you scratch my back and i don't fuck you over game.

Interesting interview on CBC radio this morning with AMT speaking with former top CIA agent Glenn Carle. Linky

One point that stood out is that intelligence agencies (namely the CIA) are rumored to be withholding security intelligence information from the president to prevent further leaks. This risks adding more power to the shadow state rule; the people in power that aren't the president and aren't subjected to normal democratic processes. This also prevents Trump, who was elected, to do his job and fulfill his election promises.

In short the internal turmoil in the states is a breeding ground for un-democratic actions at the moment, even if they are mostly against Trump. That's not something that I see as ok.

One point that stood out is that intelligence agencies (namely the CIA) are rumored to be withholding security intelligence information from the president to prevent further leaks. This risks adding more power to the shadow state rule; the people in power that aren't the president and aren't subjected to normal democratic processes. This also prevents Trump, who was elected, to do his job and fulfill his election promises.

There are other individuals and groups that are briefed, such as the VP and Senate intelligence committees.

I don't see how anyone can expect Trump to keep a secret. One bad SNL skit and he'll leak everything.

It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.
- Josiah Stamp

Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.
- H.G. Wells